Because more and more false reports in connection with the death of twelve-year-old Luise from Freudenberg have recently been spread in the various digital channels, police and prosecutors felt compelled to make a joint appeal on Friday. "Due to the broad interest of the public and the associated sympathy, rumors about the alleged background of the incident arise again and again," it says. In the social media, there is speculation that does not coincide with the current status of the investigation.
Reiner Burger
Political correspondent in North Rhine-Westphalia.
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With regard to the personal rights of the victim and the perpetrators, two twelve and 13-year-old classmates of Luise, the investigating authorities could not publish detailed information. "Prosecutors and police therefore ask not to participate in any speculation and not to fuel discussions about the background of the incident, also for the protection of relatives."
The situation is "already so very, very stressful"
The F.A.Z. said the Siegen chief prosecutor Patrick Baron von Grotthuss, for the relatives and especially for the relatives of the victim, the situation was "already so very, very stressful. When wild slogans and false reports come from all corners, everything becomes even harder." Therefore, all social media users are asked to be prudent. "It's very fast today: someone posts something, and thousands of others post it or modify it."
In the investigation, the digital rumor flood is not a disruptive factor, said the chief prosecutor. "We know what we have determined. That's why we can say that certain details shared on social media are not accurate."
While it is not allowed to investigate the two alleged perpetrators, Grotthuss estimates that the police and the public prosecutor's office will continue to deal with the question of whether there are indications that other criminally responsible persons were involved in the crime for another two to three weeks. So far, however, there are no signs of this, said the chief prosecutor. Nevertheless, it is necessary to verify the confessions of the two children. "The more objective evidence we have, the better."
This also applies to the murder weapon, which has not yet been found. Most recently, police officers had searched for the knife on Thursday in a wooded area near Freudenberg.